Jacksoul

“Singing from the heart and telling real people's stories isn't just an R&B thing,” comments jacksoul’s lead singer Haydain Neale. “It would be wrong to say R&B artists alone have a monopoly on writing with soul.”

jacksoul’s homage to ‘emotive lyrics’ and ‘soul stirring music’ is exemplified on the new release, mySOUL, a collection of 13 timeless tracks (plus one original) that span the last fifty years of music. Underscoring the music on mySOUL, is a consistent theme of timeless, soulful artistry. Adding their own spirit and musical interpretation to hits by artists such as Jane’s Addiction, Radiohead, Curtis Mayfield and Sam Cooke, jacksoul have created universally unforgettable music and succeeded in demonstrating that soul transcends the typical notion of genre.

Exploring the depths of emotion and examining the roots of soul is daily practice for the members of jacksoul. Creating music that’s intensely inspiring and totally heartbreaking, bores to the core of ‘down, dirty, Soul Music,’ and is the building block that has helped shape music today. It's probably no surprise that jacksoul had its beginnings in classic soul material like “Knock on Wood" and “Love TKO," but when they sat down to hammer out which songs to include on the album, they were confronted with inspiration from many unlikely musical sources. “Some people are gonna say I'm crazy when they read the song list for this CD,” explains Neale. “But once you hear the tracks the way I hear them... you'll know what soul is all about."

After performing a rendition of The Guess Who’s “These Eyes” to roaring response, (at The Guess Who’s induction into The Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2004,) jacksoul considered putting together a collection of songs that struck a personal chord and lasting memory and inspired them as songwriters. There was never any intention to try and improve on these great tunes, which Neale mentions is “quite frankly, impossible,” but explore how every song impacts every listener, a little differently. With the members of jacksoul, not only does that lyric or melody trigger a unique picture in their minds, it also sparks different musical possibilities.

Explains Neale:

“Imagine if Sam Cooke was recording today. There's no way that he could ever "improve" on the original "A Change Is Gonna Come" just because he gets Dr. Dre to drop a beat on it. But just living now, being surrounded by modern music and today's issues... it might make him reach for another sad chord here, or a weeping guitar line there.”

“Or if you listen to "Been Caught Stealing," I hear a funk jam. I thought that back in 1990 and still hear it like that today. Or "Try" - when the melody is so perfect, and the hurt is so real, who needs a bunch of instruments getting in the way. Maybe you just wanna here a simple sad song for awhile, y'know? With mySOUL, I was trying to say more about how these songs make me feel inside and that defined my interpretation.”

jacksoul has always been about great performances – real, sweaty, human performances. They have been heralded for their live shows and brought that same energy and excitement into the recording studio. With his co-conspirators: Justin Abedin on guitars, Ron Lopata on keys, Davide Direnzo on percussion and JK playing bass, they took classic soul music and “put their stank on it.” Brad Haehnel, (engineer for Esthero, K’Naan, Nelly Furtado), who co-produced mySOUL with Neale, brought in the horns and kept the band grounded with their musical choices. Though Neale arranges all the vocals, the band shares in the musical arrangement duties, and with their tight groove, were able to invoke the phat beats of Motown.

Over the course of their career, jacksoul has earned a well-deserved reputation as gifted songwriters. They received the SOCAN Award for “R&B Song of the Year,” a Canadian Urban Music Award for “Songwriter of the Year,” a JUNO Award for “Best R&B/Soul Recording”; and have achieved numerous #1 and high chart positions for their singles and videos, across multiple radio formats, MuchMoreMusic and Musimax. “Can’t Stop,” from Sleepless, was the #1 Most Spun Canadian track for four weeks in 2000 and “Still Believe in Love,” from Resurrected, was the #1 Most Spun Canadian track and the #1 track on all formats simultaneously in 2004. jacksoul have been internationally heralded as incredible musicians who deliver soul rousing, powerfully intoxicating music.

While pouring over the endless material for inclusion on the CD, the ideal that music bridges the gap between generations and cultures, led to the inclusion of one original track on the album entitled “oneSONG.” With lyrics like “last night I dreamt of a choir full of soprano, alto, tenor and bass; and it stretched across the planet now, every woman, man, religion and race….,” this song aptly conveys the spirit of unification that defines this album.

Haydain Neale continues to affect his community with his music and hi